'He just went ballistic': Edmonton bus driver stabbed at Mill Woods transit terminal

A 15-year-oldsuspectis in custodyafter a city bus driver was stabbed early Wednesday morning at a southeast Edmonton transit station.

Thedriver, a 65-year-old man, was stabbed more than a dozen times,said Mark Tetterington, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union's Edmonton local.

"He was stabbed twice in the neck, in the groin area and various other locations throughout his body," Tetterington said in an interview with CBC News.

Edmonton Transit released a statement late Wednesday afternoon that said bus driver had been released from hospital.

The assault happened at3:40 a.m. at theMill Woods Transit Centre onHewesWay and25thAvenue.

'He just went ballistic'

"[The driver] exited the bus when a young youth approached him and asked him for a ride downtown," Tetterington said.

The driverthen called dispatch to inquire about getting the boy a ride.

"The operator phoned control and control responded saying that they would get a police officer to meet up with the youth and transport him downtown,"Tetteringtonsaid.

"From what I understand, the youth wasn't too happy with that response. He just went ballistic and stabbed the operator and from what I understand,it was 13 times."

Police said thesuspect got on the bus and stabbedthe driver, who managed to escape, get inside the terminal buildingand phone for help.

When police arrived, the suspect was in the driver's seat trying to put the bus in gear and drive off, said Edmonton police spokesperson Cheryl Sheppard.

The boywas arrested and remains in custody.

Police said the driverremains in hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver, who has been working for ETS for at least five years,is expected to make a full recovery, Tetteringtonsaid.

"He's going to be OK," Tetterington said. "He's going to be released from hospital. It never hit any vital organs."

Early morning commuterswere directed to buses located on HewesWay north and south, due to the ongoing investigation inside the transit building.

Numbersprovided by the cityshow 73 drivers wereassaultedin 2017, up from 57 in 2016 and 42 in in 2015.

Most often, drivers were punched or spat on, although many were bitten, kickedor had something thrown at them.

The majority of the disputes were over transit fares.

The figures show drivers on Route 8, which runs from 118th Avenue to Mill Woods, were assaulted most often, with 26 incidents since 2015.

These dangerous transit centres, we need to have a security presence, and I think that's the only solution.- MarkTetterington

Wednesday'sstabbing is the second serious assault on a driver in recentmonths, Tetterington said. Another ETS driver was hospitalized after an attack in July, he said.

"One guy was beaten senseless for about five minutes and he's still off work as a result of it and then we just had this one which could have been a fatality, quite easily."

• Edmonton bus driver bitten and cut during attack, union president says
• City considers test run for protective shields on Edmonton Transit buses

Tetterington said Wednesday's assault is a reminder that increased security is needed at Edmonton transit centres, especially during the overnight hours.

"We've been pushing, asking for more and more security," he said. "These dangerous transit centres, we need to have a security presence, and I think that's the only solution.

"First and foremost, for our operators' safety but secondly, they want to increase ridership but a lot of people are afraid to ride buses.They hear about incidents like this and they feel it's unsafe."

'It's appalling'

Facing increased concerns over driver safety, the city announced in February that 10 new Edmonton Transit buses will be outfitted with retractable shields.

Thepilot is aimed at reducing assaults on drivers, and will allow operators on Edmonton's most problematic routesto close the Plexiglas shield when they feel threatened.

We're no longer at a point where we can do nothing.- Coun. Mike Nickel

City councillor Mike Nickel, who represents Ward 11 where the stabbing happened, said he and a few other councillors have also been working on a proposal to increase the budget for security on Edmonton Transit.

Nickel said he is concerned about the "escalating" number of assaults on transit drivers.

"It's appalling, it's shocking,"Nickel said of Wednesday's assault. "We're no longer at a point where we can do nothing."

While the city budget is "tight," the security of city workers and commuters needs to be a priority, Nickel said.

'I'm very concerned to hear about the violence'

6 years ago

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Mayor Don Iveson says he's very concerned with the violence toward the transit driver who was stabbed in the neck Tuesday morning.

CouncillorsBev Esslinger, Andrew Knack and Ben Henderson echoed the need for more to be done to increase safety for both drivers and transit users.

"If an increased presence of peace officers would address, thatI'm all for it," Coun. BevEsslingersaid Wednesday.

Transit users also need to be made aware of the presence of surveillance cameras at transit stations and the red emergency buttons on trains, Esslinger said.

The issue of safety during the overnight hours is particularly important, Mayor Don Ivesonsaid.

"We need to do whatever we can to reduce risks as much as possible and support people's safety," hesaid. "So we're open to looking at that again and taking suggestions, from the union in particular."

"The transit union has more than made their case," Nickel said. "This is now just the latest incident. We need more security.

"The evidence is there. The numbers are there. You can't escape the data. We have to have more security."